Traffic conditions around the Ambassador Bridge may have eased a bit, but the MP from Windsor West is calling for a trucker demonstration to end.
Brian Masse of the NDP rose Tuesday during question period in the House of Commons, to ask the Liberal government for a safe border plan. He said the effects of the trucker protests that all but paralyzed Ottawa are being felt across North America, and the Windsor protest isn't helping.
"In Windsor, the Ambassador Bridge has been forced to close," said Masse. "This has devastated not just truckers, but also businesses, residents, and essential workers who cross the border every single day to save lives."
Masse called on the Liberals to establish a plan to help border communities like Windsor work through man-made work stoppages.
In response, federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the Liberals are working around the clock to find a resolution.
"I want to ensure everybody in the Windsor area that we are working very closely with the CBSA officials who are coordinating both with Windsor police as well as the mayor," said Mendicino. "There's a full-court press to ensure that we keep supply chains moving on the Ambassador Bridge."
Meanwhile, Masse's provincial counterparts called for an end to what they called a "blockade".
"The Ambassador Bridge is a vital crossing that thousands of essential frontline workers, families, truck drivers and small businesses rely on every day. While everyone has the right to protest, this is not simply a protest, it’s a blockade," read a statement attributed to Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky, Windsor-Tecumseh's Percy Hatfield, Essex's Taras Natyshak, and NDP candidate Gemma-Grey Hall. "No one wants the pandemic to continue. We are all tired, especially the frontline workers who have been working flat out to save lives, and make sure our families have the necessities. The fastest way to end the pandemic is to get vaccinated and to follow public health advice."
On Tuesday evening, following negotiations with protest organizers and Windsor police, U.S.-bound traffic on the bridge began moving more freely, while a controlled movement continued on northbound Huron Church Road. However, access to Canada from the U.S. on the bridge was still cut off, with passenger vehicles diverted to the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, and commercial drivers sent to the Blue Water Bridge.
